BMW 1 Series vs Ford Focus
A side-by-side comparison of the used BMW 1 Series and Ford Focus — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
BMW 1 Series or Ford Focus — which should I buy?
The Ford Focus starts cheaper (BMW 1 Series from £8,650, Ford Focus from £2,499), with illustrative finance from £209/mo and £60/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 95% and 89% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- 1 Series from
- £8,650
- Focus from
- £2,499
- In stock
- 9 vs 16
| Metric | BMW 1 Series | Ford Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £8,650 | £2,499 |
| Median price | £11,491 | £9,545 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) | £60/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 60,700 mi | 54,096 mi |
| Median year | 2019 | 2019 |
| Median CO₂ | 119 g/km | 121 g/km |
| Typical power | 138 bhp | 123 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 95% | 89% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 3 / 9 | 3 / 16 |
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring.Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring.Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the BMW 1 Series or the Ford Focus cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Focus starts lower: the BMW 1 Series is available from £8,650 (median £11,491) and the Ford Focus from £2,499 (median £9,545).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 1 Series vs the Ford Focus?
- Illustrative finance starts from £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series and £60/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Ford Focus. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the BMW 1 Series or the Ford Focus?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 1 Series stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Ford Focus — so the BMW 1 Series is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 1 Series or the Ford Focus?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 1 Series averages a 95% first-time pass rate and the Ford Focus 89% — the BMW 1 Series edges it on this measure.